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her hands; and treacherous Judah was not afraid» of the things I have done to the house of Israel, that “I sent her away and gave her a bill of divorce,” “she was not afraid” from the things that had happened to them. Someone entered the house of a master, he is newly bought, he inquires which of the former servants he honored and why, which of the servants he dishonored and why; having understood, if he wishes to be in the house of the master, he guards against falling into these things, which the former slaves have done, who both sinned and were cast out and handed over to punishment, then having learned what the former slaves who were well-pleasing have done, and for what sort of things they have obtained freedom, he emulates them. And we were not slaves of God, but of idols and demons, gentiles, yesterday and the day before we came to God, let us read the scripture, let us see who was justified, who was condemned, let us imitate those who were justified, let us guard against falling into these things, into which those who were taken captive, who were cast out from God, have fallen. 4.6 “And treacherous Judah was not afraid, and she went and committed fornication too”-after Israel had first committed fornication, Judah also later committed fornication-»“and her fornication became as nothing, and she committed adultery with wood and stone.” When we sin, we do nothing other than, becoming stone-hearted, commit adultery with “the stone”; when we sin and commit fornication “under every leafy tree,” we too commit adultery with “the wood.” “And treacherous Judah did not turn back to me with all her heart, but in falsehood.” If we have turned to God, but deficiently, we are accused as not having turned “with all our heart.” Therefore, “ treacherous Judah did not turn back to me with all her heart”; it did not say: and treacherous Judah did not turn back, and it stopped, but: “and treacherous Judah did not turn back to me with all her heart, but in falsehood” she turned back. Therefore, true turning back is to read the “old things,” to know those who were justified, to imitate them, to read those things, to see those who were blamed, to guard against falling into those blames, to read the books of the new testament, the words of the apostles, after reading, to write all these things on the heart, to live according to them, so that a “bill of divorce” may not be given to us also, but that we may be able to come to the holy inheritance, and after the fullness of the Gentiles is saved, then Israel may be able to enter; “for if the fullness of the Gentiles comes in, then all Israel will be saved,” “and they will be one flock, one shepherd” teaching to glorify God the almighty in Christ Jesus himself, to whom be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen. 5.t On “Return, O backsliding children, and I will heal your backslidings,” up to “gird yourselves with sackcloth for these things.” Homily 5. 5.1 It is written clearly in the Acts of the Apostles that the apostles first entered into the synagogue of the Jews, proclaiming to them, as kinsmen through Abraham and Isaac and Jacob, the things written concerning the coming of Jesus Christ. But when they did not receive the things being said, it was necessary for there to be other hearers of the things being said, then, having made their defense to them, they left them; for it is written that “it was necessary for the word of God to be proclaimed to you; but since you judge yourselves unworthy, behold, we are turning to the Gentiles”; and this, clearly stated in the Acts of the Apostles, has been spoken in effect in many places by the prophets also; for indeed the Holy Spirit first speaks through the prophets to those of that people, but if ever after having said many things it was not heard, it prophesies the word that is preached to the Gentiles. This has also happened at the beginning of today’s reading, since before this it is said to those of Israel, “if you will also call me Father, and will not turn away from me; but as a woman is treacherous to her husband, so has the house of Israel been treacherous to me, says the Lord,” and when

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χεῖρας αὐτῆς· καὶ οὐκ ἐφοβήθη ἡ ἀσύνθετος Ἰούδα» ἃ πεποίηκα τῇ κατοικίᾳ τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ ὅτι «ἐξαπέστειλα αὐτὴν καὶ ἔδωκα αὐτῇ βιβλίον ἀποστασίου», «οὐκ ἐφοβήθη» ἐκ τῶν ἐκείνοις γεγενημένων. Εἰσῆλθέ τις εἰς οἰκίαν οἰκο δεσπότου, νεώνητός ἐστι, πυνθάνεται τίνα τῶν προτέρων οἰκετῶν ἐτίμησε καὶ διὰ τί, τίνα ἠτίμασε τῶν οἰκετῶν καὶ διὰ τί· κατανοήσας, εἰ βούλεται εἶναι ἐν τῇ οἰκίᾳ τοῦ οἰκοδεσπότου, φυλάσσεται τούτοις περιπεσεῖν, ἃ πεποιή κασιν οἱ πρότεροι δοῦλοι καὶ ἡμαρτηκότες καὶ ἐκβεβλημέ νοι καὶ κολάσει παραδεδομένοι, εἶτα μαθὼν τίνα πεποιή κασιν οἱ πρότεροι δοῦλοι καὶ εὐδοκιμηκότες, καὶ ἐπὶ ποτα ποῖς ἐλευθερίας τετυχήκασι, ζηλοῖ ἐκείνους. Καὶ ἡμεῖς δὲ οὐκ ἦμεν δοῦλοι τοῦ θεοῦ, ἀλλὰ εἰδώλων καὶ δαιμόνων, ἐθνικοί, ἐχθὲς καὶ πρώην προσεληλύθαμεν τῷ θεῷ, ἀνα γινώσκωμεν τὴν γραφήν, ἴδωμεν τις ἐδικαιώθη, τίς κατε δικάσθη, μιμησώμεθα τοὺς δικαιωθέντας, φυλασσώμεθα περιπεσεῖν τούτοις, οἷς περιπεπτώκασιν οἱ αἰχμαλω τευθέντες, οἱ ἐκβληθέντες ἀπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ. 4.6 «Καὶ οὐκ ἐφοβήθη ἡ ἀσύνθετος Ἰούδα, καὶ ἐπορεύθη καὶ ἐπόρνευσεν καὶ αὐτή»-πρότερον πορνεύσαντος τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ πεπόρνευκεν ὕστερον καὶ Ἰούδας-»καὶ ἐγένετο εἰς οὐδὲν ἡ πορνεία αὐτῆς, καὶ ἐμοίχευσε τὸ ξύλον καὶ τὸν λίθον». Ὅταν ἁμαρτάνωμεν, οὐδὲν ἄλλο ποιοῦμεν ἢ λιθοκάρδιοι γινόμενοι μοιχεύομεν «τὸν λίθον»· ὅταν ἁμαρτάνωμεν καὶ πορνεύωμεν «ὑποκάτω παντὸς ξύλου ἀλσώδους», καὶ ἡμεῖς μοιχεύομεν «τὸ ξύλον». «Καὶ οὐκ ἐπεστράφη πρός με ἡ ἀσύνθετος Ἰούδα ἐξ ὅλης τῆς καρδίας αὐτῆς ἀλλ' ἐπὶ ψεύδει.» Εἰ ἐπεστρέψα μεν πρὸς τὸν θεόν, ἐλλιπῶς δέ, ἐγκαλούμεθα ὡς οὐκ «ἐξ ὅλης τῆς καρδίας» ἐπιστρέψαντες. ∆ιὸ «οὐκ <ἐπεστράφη πρός με ἡ ἀσύνθετος Ἰούδα ἐξ ὅλης τῆς καρδίας αὐτῆς»· οὐκ> εἶπεν· καὶ οὐκ ἐπέστρεψεν ἡ ἀσύνθετος Ἰούδα, καὶ ἔστη, ἀλλά· «καὶ οὐκ ἐπεστράφη πρός με ἡ ἀσύνθετος Ἰούδα ἐξ ὅλης τῆς καρδίας αὐτῆς, ἀλλ' ἐπὶ ψεύδει» ἐπέ στρεψεν. Ἡ οὖν ἀληθῶς ἐπιστροφή ἐστιν ἀναγνῶναι τὰ «παλαιά», εἰδέναι τοὺς δικαιωθέντας, μιμήσασθαι αὐτούς, ἀναγνῶ ναι ἐκεῖνα, ἰδεῖν τοὺς μεμφθέντας, φυλάξασθαι περιπεσεῖν ταῖς μέμψεσιν ἐκείναις, ἀναγνῶναι τὰ βιβλία τῆς καινῆς διαθήκης, τῶν ἀποστόλων τοὺς λόγους, μετὰ τὸ ἀναγνῶ ναι γράψαι ταῦτα πάντα εἰς τὴν καρδίαν, βιῶσαι κατ' αὐτά, ἵνα μὴ καὶ ἡμῖν δοθῇ «βιβλίον ἀποστασίου», ἀλλὰ δυνηθῶμεν ἥκειν ἐπὶ τὴν κληρονομίαν τὴν ἁγίαν, <καὶ> μετὰ τοῦ πληρώματος τῶν ἐθνῶν σωθέντος δυνηθῇ τότε ὁ Ἰσραὴλ εἰσελθεῖν· «ἐὰν γὰρ τὸ πλήρωμα τῶν ἐθνῶν εἰσέλ θῃ, τότε πᾶς Ἰσραὴλ σωθήσεται», «καὶ γενήσονται μία ποίμνη, εἷς ποιμὴν» διδάσκων δοξάζειν τὸν παντοκρά τορα θεὸν ἐν αὐτῷ τῷ Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ, ᾧ ἡ δόξα καὶ τὸ κρά τος εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν. 5.t Εἰς τὸ «ἐπιστράφητε, υἱοί, ἐπιστρέφοντες, καὶ ἰάσομαι τὰ συντρίμματα ὑμῶν» μέχρι τοῦ «περιζώσασθε σάκκους ἐπὶ τούτοις». Ὁμιλία εʹ. 5.1 Σαφῶς μὲν ἐν ταῖς τῶν ἀποστόλων γέγραπται Πράξε σιν, ὅτι οἱ ἀπόστολοι εἰσῄεσαν πρῶτον εἰς τὴν τῶν Ἰου δαίων συναγωγὴν καταγγέλλοντες αὐτοῖς, ὡς συγγενέσι διὰ τὸν Ἀβραὰμ καὶ Ἰσαὰκ καὶ Ἰακώβ, τῶν γεγραμμένωντὰ περὶ τῆς παρουσίας Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ. Ὅτε δὲ ἐκείνων τὰ λεγόμενα μὴ δεχομένων ἔδει ἑτέρους εἶναι τοὺς ἀκροατὰς τῶν λεγομένων, τότε ἀπολογησάμενοι ἐκείνοις κατελίμπα νον αὐτούς· γέγραπται γὰρ ὅτι «ὑμῖν ἔδει καταγγελθῆναι τὸν λόγον τοῦ θεοῦ· ἐπεὶ δὲ οὐκ ἀξίους κρίνετε ἑαυτούς, ἰδοὺ στρεφόμεθα εἰς τὰ ἔθνη»· τοῦτο δὲ σαφῶς εἰρημέ νον ἐν ταῖς Πράξεσι τῶν ἀποστόλων δυνάμει πολλαχοῦ καὶ τῶν προφητῶν λέλεκται· καὶ γὰρ προηγουμένως μὲν λαλεῖ τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον διὰ τῶν προφητῶν τοῖς ἀπὸ τοῦ λαοῦ ἐκείνου, εἰ δέ ποτε μετὰ τὸ πολλὰ εἰρηκέναι οὐκ ἠκούσθη, προφητεύει τὸν λόγον τὸν κηρυσσόμενον τοῖς ἔθνεσι. Τοῦτο δὲ καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς ἀρχῆς τοῦ σήμερον ἀναγνώσμα τος γεγένηται, ἐπειδήπερ πρὸ μὲν τοῦ αὐτοῦ τοῖς ἀπὸ τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ λέγεται τὸ «εἰ καὶ πατέρα με καλέσεις, καὶ ἀπ' ἐμοῦ οὐκ ἀποστραφήσῃ· πλὴν ὡς ἀθετεῖ γυνὴ εἰς τὸν συνόντα αὐτῇ, οὕτως ἠθέτησεν εἰς ἐμὲ ὁ οἶκος Ἰσραήλ, λέγει κύριος», καὶ ὅτε